Deutsche Telekom's Network Infrastructure Based on Open Source and Edge Computing

New York – Deutsche Telekom has implemented a new virtualised network infrastructure, the Access 4.0 program, which utilises open source solutions and edge computing. This initiative addresses the ongoing transformation in the telecommunications industry, moving away from monolithic systems towards disaggregated solutions separating hardware and software.

The new technology allows for more scalable, flexible, and economically sustainable network control, management, and operation. The use of open source is intended to reduce dependence on proprietary hardware and software vendors, leading to significant savings in both network management and development investments. Deutsche Telekom developed the Access 4.0 program in partnership with Reply and other domain experts to meet these sector challenges.

The Access 4.0 program represents a paradigm shift, impacting not only technology but also the ecosystem, collaboration, and agility. Deutsche Telekom has successfully created a scalable and efficient access platform that drastically reduces total solution costs and requires a fraction of the workforce typically needed for traditional infrastructure. Software upgrades are now performed in near real-time and on a large scale, a significant improvement over older networking technologies.

The program has the potential to be extended to power other applications, such as latency-sensitive IoT solutions. Robert Soukup, Deutsche Telekom's Access 4.0 Senior Program Manager, highlighted that edge computing provides the dual advantage of a cloud-based virtualised network that is simultaneously close to termination points. With Reply's ongoing consultancy, the infrastructure is becoming more agile, and the use of edge solutions ensures the physical proximity of computational resources to reduce latency.